Devotion
by HaveAHeart0301
Summary: Their devotion is amazing, but will it last? One chapter per PoR/RD character; tons of spoilers. Five: He loved her, there was no doubt about it. She had feelings for Renning, or so she thought... Discontinued.
1. Elincia

**Devotion**

**Part One: Crimea**

**Chapter One: Elincia**

_A/N: Okay, so I had some crazy idea to make up a one-shot about _each _Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn (and some Path of Radiance) character. So in my extremely long author's note for this chapter, I'll give a basic guideline to how the chapters will go. There's nearly 100, so this will definitely take a long time to complete. Let me know if I forgot any characters ASAP. Also, let me know if any of the characters are placed under the wrong county. I did my best, but it was all from memory, so I could have gotten something wrong._

_If anyone has any requests, let me know also. I'll take pairing requests, or certain things you want to happen. Though I can't guarantee I'll accept it…there's certain things I won't write. There's also pairings I'm definitely going to include, so yeah…_

_Oh, and I guarantee there will be tons of spoilers, both PoR and RD. So, if you haven't finished the games and don't want any spoilers, I wouldn't read beyond this point._

_Okay, here we go. They're organized by country (in order of my favorite countries, I must add, but not by character. Because, of course, Lucia's my favorite.). Anyway, here we go._

**Part One: Crimea**

Chapter One: Elincia

Chapter Two: Geoffrey

Chapter Three: Renning

Chapter Four: Lucia

Chapter Five: Bastian

Chapter Six: Kieran

Chapter Seven: Marcia

Chapter Eight: Astrid

Chapter Nine: Makalov

Chapter Ten: Calill

Chapter Eleven: Largo

Chapter Twelve: Ike

Chapter Thirteen: Mist

Chapter Fourteen: Soren

Chapter Fifteen: Titania

Chapter Sixteen: Oscar

Chapter Seventeen: Boyd

Chapter Eighteen: Rolf

Chapter Nineteen: Rhys

Chapter Twenty: Shinon

Chapter Twenty-one: Gatrie

Chapter Twenty-two: Mia

Chapter Twenty-three: Heather

Chapter Twenty-four: Nephenee

Chapter Twenty-five: Brom

Chapter Twenty-six: Volke

Chapter Twenty-seven: Meg

**Part Two: Hatari**

Chapter Twenty-eight: Nailah

Chapter Twenty-nine: Volug

**Part Three: Begnion**

Chapter Thirty: Sanaki

Chapter Thirty-one: Sigrun

Chapter Thirty-two: Tanith

Chapter Thirty-three: Oliver

Chapter Thirty-four: Tormod

Chapter Thirty-five: Muarim

Chapter Thirty-six: Vika

Chapter Thirty-seven: Stefan

**Part Four: Kilvas**

Chapter Thirty-eight: Naesala

Chapter Thirty-nine: Nealuchi

**Part Five: Phoenicis**

Chapter Forty: Tibarn

Chapter Forty-one: Janaff

Chapter Forty-two: Ulki

**Part Six: Daein**

Chapter Forty-three: Micaiah

Chapter Forty-four: Sothe

Chapter Forty-five: Pelleas

Chapter Fort-six: Tauroneo

Chapter Forty-seven: Nolan

Chapter Forty-eight: Edward

Chapter Forty-nine: Leonardo

Chapter Fifty: Jill

Chapter Fifty-one: Haar

Chapter Fifty-two: Zihark

Chapter Fifty-three: Ilyana

Chapter Fifty-four: Danved/Devdan

Chapter Fifty-five: Laura

Chapter Fifty-six: Aran

Chapter Fifty-seven: Fiona

**Part Seven: Serenes**

Chapter Fifty-eight: Rafiel

Chapter Fifty-nine: Reyson

Chapter Sixty: Leanne

**Part Eight: Gallia**

Chapter Sixty-one: Caineghis

Chapter Sixty-two: Skrimir

Chapter Sixty-three: Giffca

Chapter Sixty-four: Ranulf

Chapter Sixty-five: Lethe

Chapter Sixty-six: Lyre

Chapter Sixty-seven: Mordecai

Chapter Sixty-eight: Kyza

**Part Nine: Goldoa**

Chapter Sixty-nine: Kurthnaga

Chapter Seventy: Nasir

Chapter Seventy-one: Ena

Chapter Seventy-two: Gareth

**Part Ten: Bosses, PoR Characters, Non-playable Characters, etc.**

Chapter Seventy-three: Ashera

Chapter Seventy-four: Yune

Chapter Seventy-five: Amy

Chapter Seventy-six: Almedha

Chapter Seventy-seven: Ashnard

Chapter Seventy-eight: The Black Knight/Zelgius

Chapter Seventy-nine: Bertram

Chapter Eighty: Petrine

Chapter Eighty-one: Bryce

Chapter Eighty-two: Izuka

Chapter Eighty-three: Elena

Chapter Eighty-four: Greil

Chapter Eighty-five: Sephiran/Lehran

Chapter Eighty-six: Lekain

Chapter Eighty-seven: Numida

Chapter Eighty-eight: Hetzel

Chapter Eighty-nine: Jarod

Chapter Ninety: Lorazieh

Chapter Ninety-one: Lotz

Chapter Ninety-two: Dheginsea

Chapter Ninety-three: Rajaion

Chapter Ninety-four: Ludveck

Chapter Ninety-five: Levail

Part Eleven: Epilogue

Chapter Ninety-six: Epilogue (Will most likely include what happened to the characters after their one-shots).

Okay, so there is the really long list that will most likely take up more space than the first chapter.

I'd like to point out that I'm not including the smaller bosses, such as Danomill, or whatever his name was. I added Levail, he's kind of important I guess. I nearly forgot Ludveck…how could that happen? I don't remember a lot of the Begnion/Crimean nobles names…though I'm not sure most of the Crimea ones even had names. But the Begnion Senators did. Oh well. I probably wouldn't enjoy writing about them anyway. But if there's a specific boss you'd like to see, let me know…but include the part/chapter they're in, or I won't know who they even are.

Okay, I think that's over with. If there's anything else, I'll add it at the end.

So on to our first chapter, starring Elincia!

--

She'd seen a rebellion. She'd seen one of her closest friends nearly die. She'd seen her parents killed in front of her eyes. She'd seen a Goddess defeated, and a new world born. Face it, she'd seen a lot in her lifetime.

Ludveck had tried to use clever schemes to take the throne from her, but they'd imprisoned him. Lucia had almost been hung, but the Greil Mercenaries saved her. King and Queen Crimea had been killed by the Mad King, Ashnard, years ago. The Goddess of Order, Ashera, had been defeated by General Ike, and the Goddess of Chaos, Yune had been reunited with her "sister."

And still, she wasn't prepared for this.

Everyone had told her that with the return of her Uncle Renning, there might be a war for succession. She knew this fact too well.

After the defeat of the Goddess, she returned to the land of her birth, the land which she ruled: Crimea. She was prepared to keep the peace, and prepared for the worst.

However, the land she returned to was strange. Everyone was glad she had returned, glad she was their Queen. Though they acknowledged Renning's return warmly, none publicly mentioned a want of him to take the throne. They seemed content with Elincia.

They were also ecstatic over her choice for marriage. Who was more fit to be her husband than the commander of the Royal Knights himself? They couldn't wait for the wedding. The day their Queen would be joined with Geoffrey.

This all seemed strange to Elincia, though she really didn't mind. She was happy, very happy. She loved Geoffrey more than she'd ever loved anyone. She couldn't imagine life without him. He was her life. If anything ever happened to him, she didn't know what she'd do. She hoped she'd never have to find out either.

Her uncle, too, was happy. He knew Geoffrey would take good care of Elincia. He'd never let anything happen to her.

Geoffrey's sister, Lucia, was overjoyed. She had a strong feeling from early on that they would marry, and was pleased that she was correct. Her younger brother and best friend were perfect for each other.

Even Count Bastian and Kieran were glad, which was a tad surprising.

It seemed everyone was happy for the couple. Their old friends from the war were all invited to come to the wedding, noble or not. That's what they liked about Elincia. She didn't care whether they were from wealthy families. She only cared about who they were.

As Elincia looked up from the book she was reading, her gaze was met by Renning.

"Uncle…"

"Yes, Dear?"

"Where's Geoffrey?"

"He and Bastian went out awhile ago. Something about the wedding preparations."

"Oh, yes. And what about Lucia?"

"I'm not quite sure, actually. I could look into it for you."

"Oh, no. It's quite alright. I was just wondering."

"Hm."

"Yes?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"It's a secret. Now if you'll excuse me, Your Highness, I have a few things to attend to."

"Oh, of course. It's no problem at all."

Renning got up and left the room.

_What was that all about?_

Something puzzled her about her uncle. Lately he'd been acting all strange, like he had something important on his mind. She wondered what it could possibly be.

Oh well. If he wanted to tell her, he would. There was no sense in prying.

She went back to reading her book and dreaming about her wedding.

--

_A/N: Yeah, the author's note did take up more space than the story…oh well._

_Okay, so I don't know if you can actually call these one-shots, since they're all going to connect together somehow, but they're all going to focus on a different character's views._

_Anyway, hope you liked it. I'll try to make the next one longer…with a shorter author's note. So leave a review if you want; if you don't, it's no big deal. And try to get your requests in to me soon, especially if the character(s) you have requests for are in the Crimea section._

_I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!_


	2. Geoffrey

**Devotion**

**Part One**

**Chapter Two: Geoffrey**

_A/N: Okay, I know I'd originally said I'd have this updated "soon," which was forever ago, but lately I haven't have much time. Hopefully you'll still enjoy it, despite it's lateness...my lateness...whatever._

_--_

"Ahh, my dear friend Geoffrey, tis' quite a shame that you and the fair Queen Elincia have decided against having your wedding in Fayre. I, personally, believe that it would be the grandest..."

"Look, Bastian, I've already told you that Elincia and I would like to have the wedding in Melior."

"I know that, Sir! But I still--"

"Bastian!"

"Okay, fine. I still don't see why you'd want to have it in Melior when Fayre is so much more..."

The azure-haired knight sighed. His wedding was difficult enough as is, but the obnoxious count just couldn't let him be.

"Bastian, I must go see the queen. We'll chat later, alright?"

"If you'd like, I can accompany you."

"No, that's quite alright. In fact, I believe my sister was looking for you."

"The Lady Lucia wishes for my presence?! I must go to her straight away!"

And so it happened that the sage skipped off merrily.

"Finally."

Geoffrey once again sighed as he made his way towards the castle, walking through the rows of delicate flowers in the queen's garden, carefully steping so he wouldn't destroy a single one. He hated making that story up to push Bastian off on his sister, but at least the count was out of his hair. And besides, Lucia would probably find a way to get rid of him, right?

--

Geoffrey made his way down the long halls of the castle, searching for Elincia.

_Now where could she be? _

She hadn't been in the throne room, as he'd expected her to be, and she wasn't in her bedchambers either. The servants he stopped and asked said they hadn't seen her in over an hour, and Geoffrey had no clue where she could be.

_She can't be in the gardens...but where could..._

His thoughts were interrupted when he ran into something and fell. Looking over, he saw just who he'd run into...

"Oh! Duke Renning! I'm so sorry, are you alright? I must not have been paying attention. Please forgive me," he stated, helping the queen's uncle to his feet.

"It's no problem, Geoffrey. I'm fine. Now tell me, where exactly were you off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh, My lord, I was actually looking for Elincia...she wasn't in the throne room, nor her bedchambers. She couldn't be in the garden, as that is where I just came from, and the servants haven't seen her in over an hour! It's not like her to be missing for so long, and..."

"Calm down, Geoffrey...and quit talking so fast. My niece is in the library reading. She was actually asking about you a while ago."

"Oh, good."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

"Wait, Lord Renning..."

"Yes?"

"What are you doing with those flowers?" he inquired, looking at the pale yellow roses.

"Well, Geoffrey, I don't see how that's any of your business, but..."

"Milord! General Geoffrey!"

_Not again..._

"What is it, Bastian? And why are you prancing around like a madman?!" questioned the Duke.

"Well, Milord, to answer your inquiry, I'm looking for the Lady Lucia, but she's no where to be found!"

"Well, considering you've been running around screaming her name, she's probably decided she doesn't want to be bothered and has hidden away from you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

"Wait, Lord Renning!"

But it was no use, the Duke had already turned the corner and had no intention of turning back.

"Well, Geoffrey, it seems that Duke Renning has decided to ignore you. Now what might it be that you need?"

"Nothing you'd be able to answer, I'm sure. And even if you could, I doubt I could understand your explanation anyway."

"Well, it's worth a try, isn't it?"

"I suppose. You saw the flowers he was carrying, correct?"

"Ahh, yes, the exquisite yellow roses. What of them?"

"What does he need them for?"

"What need does he have of them? Well, for one, he could just get pleasure out of carrying them around. Though it's none of your affair, by best guess is that they're for a certain lady."

"Hm...you really think so?"

"Do you think that's funny, Geoffrey?"

"Oh, no...I just mean that with his age it's odd for him to be dating anyone."

"His age? Let me remind you, dear sir, I'm nearly as 'old' as he and your sister--"

"--Hates your guts."

"Hmph! We'll see about that!"

Geoffrey shook his head and headed for the royal library as Bastian went on his way.

--

When he arrived in the library, Geoffrey saw his fiancé sitting in a chair with her back to him. She had a book in her lap and seemed not to hear him come in. He walked up behind her and leaned on her chair.

"What are you reading?"

"Ahh!"

The queen jumped up and threw her book after hearing Geoffrey's voice.

"Geoffrey! Don't scare me like that!"

He took her hands in his.

"I'm sorry, Elincia."

"It's quite alright. So how did the wedding planning go?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean with Bastian? It was awful."

"How's that?"

"He keeps trying to get us to change the location of the wedding and have it in Fayre."

"Oh, does he? Well, that won't work."

"Exactly. Oh, and speaking of weddings...your uncle Renning seems to have a bit of a girlfriend."

"What? Who?"

"I don't know, but Bastian and I saw him with roses."

"Roses? Really?"

"Yes, they were yellow."

"Yellow? Oh, well that explains it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you later...after I confirm it."

"But, Elincia!"

"No buts. Now tell me, where's Bastian now?"

"He's probably still trying to track Lucia down. I told him she was looking for him."

"Why was she looking for him?"

"I wasn't."

The two turned around to see Lucia leaning in the doorway.

"Oh, Sister. I can explain. I..."

"Save it. I'll kill you, then you can tell me."

"But if I'm dead, how could I tell you?"

"Do you really want to find out? If not, I suggest you start running."

"I...uhh... See you later, Elincia. And by the way, if she kills me, I still love you."

With that, Geoffrey darted out the door, while Lucia just stood there.

"Aren't you going to chase after him?"

"No, I think I'll see how long it takes him to realize I'm not pursuing him."

"Knowing Geoffrey, it'll probably take him forever."

"Are you saying he's not that bright?"

"Yes."

The two foster sisters laughed as Bastian walked in.

"Ahh, my fair lady, Queen Elincia, it's so nice to see you again."

"Bastian, you saw me five minutes ago. What's your problem?"

"Milady, shouldn't you know? Your beauty has captivated me, and I'll miss you until you're with me forever. Until you agree to marry me, forever my heart will ache."

"Well, let's hope you don't die waiting."

"Does that mean you would consider it?"

"No! Absolutely not! Don't be ridiculous!"

"My plans have been crushed again...what a sad fate. Don't cry, fair lady, for I know in my heart we'll be together someday. Until next time, I bid thee farewell."

The count then grabbed her hand, which he placed a kiss upon and left.

"Who does he think he is?!"

"Hehe. He is quite a fool, isn't he? Maybe he'll give up eventually. Let's hope he'll at least give up if you marry someone else."

"If he doesn't, I think I might just kill him."

"How simple that would be. Oh, that reminds me, I have a something I must do, but later can we talk about something?"

"Of course. I have some research I'd like to do in the library, so when you want to talk, I'll probably still be here."

"Very well. I'll see you later then."

The queen exited as Kieran walked in.

"My lady! Please come quick! I think something's wrong with General Geoffrey! He's running around in a circle outside screaming 'Don't let her get me! I don't want to die!'"

"Oh, Kieran, don't worry about it. He'll be just fine."

"If you're certain. Now, by your leave..."

--

_Why must my sister do this to me? And why in the world didn't I realize she'd have to get revenge if I passed Bastian off to her?_

"Hey, General! Are you alright?"

Geoffrey looked around and realized he was no longer being chased by his sister. In fact, she was no where to be seen. In her place, Marcia was watching him with a curious look.

"Oh, Marcia...I...yes, I'm just fine. Thank you."

_Of course, my sister gets amusement out of making me look like a fool in front of my troops! I'll have to remember to pay her back for this..._

_--_

_A/N: Well, there it is. It's not very long, but I kind of liked it. Anyway, I have the next chapter planned out, so I might update soon, but I doubt it._


	3. Renning

**Devotion**

**Part One**

**Chapter Three: Renning**

_A/N: Well, this chapter is kind of sappy, but I still kind of like it… Also, I'd like to thank Nami-san625 for her help/ideas for this chapter!_

_--_

Renning sighed as he walked down one of Castle Crimea's long, winding hallways. He looked down at the beautiful yellow flowers in his hand as he walked towards the library. Pale yellow flowers…they had always been her favorite. Another sigh.

_Am I really doing the right thing? Well, it's probably too late now…_

He let out one last sigh as he turned the corner and walked into the royal library. Seated in one of the chairs was the beautiful azure-haired woman Bastian and so many others had fallen for: the Lady Lucia.

As he stared at her, the maiden just-so-happened to look up from the book she was reading.

"Oh! Duke Renning! Can I help you with something?"

"Yes…I actually wanted to talk to you about…something…"

"Hm?"

"Well, I was planning on visiting the cemetery and I was wondering if you'd accompany me."

"You want _me _to accompany you?"

"Of course! Besides, Elincia doesn't know about what happened…"

"Oh, yes. I'd nearly forgotten about that…"

"So, you'll come?"

She smiled.

"Of course, Milord."

"Excellent!"

He took her hand, and she rose just as Elincia walked in. Seeing the two, a bit of a smirk formed on the queen's face.

"Oh, Lucia, Uncle Renning, I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Oh no, Elincia. It's nothing."

"Well in that case… Lucia, may I speak with you…in private?"

"Y-yes, of course, Your Majesty."

"I'll wait for you outside then."

"Alright, Duke Renning."

"Yes, thank you, Uncle."

Once she made sure her uncle was out of earshot, the Queen turned to face her foster-sister.

"Well, Lucia, it's nice of you to tell me about this."

"Queen Elincia, I'm not sure I know what you're talking about…"

"Don't play dumb with me! I know about you and Renning…how you two are actually a couple!"

"What?! Elincia, that's not--"

"Lucia, you really shouldn't lie to your queen."

"I'm not! Elincia, why--"

"Oh please! First, the flowers--which I must add just happen to be your favorites--, then when I walked in… And to think, all of this behind my back! I mean, maybe if you'd told me…"

"Elincia! It's not what you think!"

"Oh I'm sure it's not. Seriously, do you take me for a fool? Of course! Now, I'm sure you two have somewhere romantic to go, so we can just discuss this later!"

With that, the queen stomped furiously out of the library, nearly running into Renning in the process.

The Duke turned to Lucia.

"What's _her_ problem?"

Lucia stared at him, crossed her arms, and replied.

"How should I know?"

"Oh, well…"

Her expression softened.

"I'm sorry for being so rude, Lord Renning, it's just…"

"Don't worry, Lucia. I know how…demanding…my niece can be. Would you still like to join me?"

"Of course, Milord."

"Great!"

--

"She actually accused you of lying to her? Isn't that a little…over the top?"

"I suppose."

"It's even more hilarious that she would accuse us of being…a couple!"

"It would be quite…silly, wouldn't it?"

She shivered at the thought.

"Are you cold, Milady?"

"Oh, a little, but--"

"Well, in that case…"

Renning placed his cape around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Milord."

She tried to conceal her blush. Luckily for her, Duke Renning had already turned his head.

"Well, here we are…"

"Right…"

Lucia looked down at the small headstone.

_Elisabeth Mae Crimea_

Her gaze then turned to Renning, whom was on the ground crying. Lucia knelt down beside him.

"My lord…"

"Lucia, I'm such a failure…"

His voice was just a whisper.

"Duke Renning, that's not…"

"It was my fault she died. I was never a good father."

"Renning, that's ridiculous! It wasn't your fault…"

"If only I'd watched her better… She never would have fallen in the river…she never would have drowned…"

"Renning, you weren't even there. It wasn't your fault."

"But if I hadn't left her with a servant, it never would have happened. She was only four…she didn't deserve to die."

"My lord, you never could have known something like that would happen… It was, in no way, your fault."

"…That's not what my wife said…before she left me, of course…"

"Renning, she was crazy for leaving you…anyone can see that. Any woman would be lucky to have you."

"Lucia, you know that's not true…it's…crazy!"

"Is it?"

Lucia reached up and kissed Duke Renning.

"Lucia…"

She looked away.

"Milord, I'm terribly sorry. I never should have--"

He pressed a finger to her lips.

"Don't. My only concern is how we'll explain this to Elincia, but I'm sure we'll think of something.

She laughed and he kissed her.

And that was when he saw what so many others before had seen…the true love he had for this one girl.

--

_A/N: Well, there it is! Hopefully you all liked it._

_Oh, and you know what's weird? As I was writing this, my dad came home with a yellow rose…for me. :D (I guess for doing well in school or something…)_


	4. Lucia

**Devotion**

**Part One**

**Chapter Four: Lucia**

_A/N: Well, I really don't have anything to say in this author's note, so I guess I should tell everyone my weird inspirations for this chapter. Okay, the Mole (the show that I can't believe no one has heard of!) and music (mainly the song 'Alyssa Lies' by Jason Michael Carroll...seriously, that has to be one of the best songs ever) kept me from going completely insane while writing this. Weird, huh?_

**--**

_Lucia was awoken in the middle of the night by someone frantically shaking her._

_"Lucia! Get up! We have to hurry!"_

_"Lord Renning? ...Oh, Geoffrey...?"_

_"Come on, Sister, there's trouble!_

_--_

As Renning was walking down the hall from his bedchambers, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he was met by Bastian.

"Good morning, Count Bastian."

"'Tis a good day indeed, Milord!"

"Hmm...you seem to be in high spirits today. Now tell me, what exactly is the occasion?"

"Ahh...Duke Renning, 'tis the grandest of occasions. Now, like every morning, I am off to wish the Lady Lucia good morning!"

"Oh, of course..."

"Milord, if you don't mind me asking, where exactly happens to be your cape? You aren't often without it..."

"Oh, yes. It was rather chilly out yesterday, and Lucia borrowed it."

"My my! If I happened to be in your place, kind sir, that item would become a much treasured possession! Never would I part with that cape!"

Renning smiled.

"That it will be, Bastian. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

"Oh! Most definitely, Milord! Fare thee well!"

--

Lucia awoke from her blissful slumber to hear birds chirping and have sun shining through her windows.

_Hm...I must have overslept. How odd. Nevertheless, that's probably the best sleep I've had in awhile. Years even..._

The young woman sat up, still contently draped in her lord Renning's cape. However, when she turned around, she realized someone was sitting in the chair beside her table.

"Good morning, Lucia. I'm glad you're finally awake."

"Q-queen Elincia?"

"Oh, I'm sorry... I never thought how this would startle you. I suppose it is quite odd to wake up to find an uninvited guest in your room..."

"Right... Do you need something, Your Highness?" Lucia inquired as she got out of bed to sit at the table with the queen.

"I just wanted to talk with you..."

"Oh? About what?" Lucia eyed her nervously, recalling yesterday's events.

"About yesterday... I know I seemed harsh; and I know I was wrong."

"You do?"

"Yes. To tell you the truth, I actually followed you and Renning yesterday, and I saw...and heard...everything.

"You know, my uncle had never told me he'd had a child, let alone what happened to her. In fact, I never even knew he'd been married. It's so sad that she left him over all this, isn't it?"

"Yes, Milady, it is."

"Well, at least he has you to make him happy now."

The queen caught her foster sister blush.

"You really do love him, don't you?"

"Of course! Lord Renning's just so...so...honestly, Elincia, I don't know how to describe it."

"Hm. Well, I wish you two the best of luck," the Queen said as she rose and headed for the door.

"Thank you, Milady. Thank you so much..."

--

After talking with Bastian, Duke Renning had decided to sit out on the patio, watching the troops train. He saw the General Geoffrey doing what Renning had done so many times before when he'd been Commander of the Royal Knights: overseeing his troops and helping them improve. As he was lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice someone come up behind him.

"Good morning, Milord."

Renning turned around to see Lucia, dressed in her usual white gown, with his cloak in her arms.

"Oh, Lucia! Good morning to you too."

They both smiled as he stood up to kiss her. He wrapped his arms around her while doing so.

"So, my love, what are your plans for today?" He inquired, still embracing her.

"Nothing, actually..." She laughed as her former commander eyed her suspiciously. "...Except training of course."

"Well then, how would you like to spar with me, then perhaps we could go for a walk in the gardens?"

"I'd like that, Milord."

"Lucia, you do realize that there's no need for such formality when it's just us, don't you?"

"O-of course, Mi--Renning. I just--"

"Calm down, Honey...after all, I was just joking."

"You're right..."

"Now then, are you ready to see if it's true that swords really are better than axes?"

"Yes...most definitely."

--

Nearly half an hour later, Renning's blessed Silver Poleax and Lucia's blessed Vague Katti were still struggling to land a blow on their 'enemy'.

"Lucia, this is getting ridiculous! Will you just give up already?" panted the Duke.

The woman smirked.

"Not in your wildest dreams!"

"Fine..." Renning now looked like he was about to pass out. "I give up."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm getting too old for this," he stated after lying down in the grass.

Lucia sat down next to him.

"You're not _that_ old."

"Yes, actually, I am. Lucia, you do realize that my daughter would have been older than you, don't you? There's a huge age difference between us..."

"So? What's your point?"

"You know that the nobles won't approve of us..."

"Like I said, so? Are you actually going to let them and their ideals ruin your life?!"

"No...I'm sorry. I just worry about you. That you'll change your mind and later on. That you won't be happy with me."

She laughed.

"Renning, I'll always be happy with you. Now, are you up to a walk or not?"

"Anything for you, Lucia..."

--

"Oh, I nearly forgot..." Lucia mumbled as they were walking through the rows of plants.

"Hm?"

"I talked with Elincia this morning."

"Oh great...what has my crazy niece done now?"

"Well, aside from the fact that she scared me half to death by being in my room when I woke up, we had a nice little chat. It was almost as if she was trying to apologize."

"My niece...apologize? Well, that's a first."

"Duke Renning! You know that's not true!"

He sighed.

"Lucia, you just did it again...using titles and such. I told you, it's not necessary."

"I know, Mil--...err...Renning. It's just--"

"Old habits are hard to break. Is that it?"

"...I suppose so..."

He sighed again.

"Lucia, how is this going to work if you can't even call me by my first name?"

"Renning, I...

"I'm sorry."

That was all she managed before she bounded away from him, a tear streaming down her face.

"Great, Renning...you've done it...again."

--

Geoffrey sighed as he walked through the entranceway to the throne room. He stopped in front of Elincia, whom was seated on the throne, and bowed. She motioned for him to rise.

"Good afternoon, Geoffrey."

"Good afternoon, Milady."

"How are things going today?"

"For the most part, not too bad..."

"For the most part?"

"Well, I found my sister crying in the library, and when I tried to talk to her, she told me to leave her alone. Then she, um, locked herself in her room..."

"I suspected one of them would be heartbroken before long..."

"Hm?"

"Oh, it's nothing," the queen said, rising from her seat. "I'll see what I can do about it."

"Thank you, Milady."

--

"You know, Uncle, I knew this was going to happen..."

Renning looked up to see his niece, anger clear in her expression. She sat down next to him.

"What are you talking about, Elincia?"

His words were cold and distant.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You've crushed Lucia. This is the whole reason I never wanted you two to be together...I knew one of you'd get hurt, and I can't stand seeing either of you like this! So now, tell me...why did you do it?"

"I didn't want her to be unhappy."

"Uncle? Are you even listening to yourself? That doesn't make any sense."

"In the long run, Elincia. She would have tired of me. I don't want her to do something she'll regret."

"And how do you know she would have tired of you?"

"That's what happened with my wife. She got tired of how boring I was and said she was leaving me. As we argued, our daughter was left in the care of a servant. And that's how..."

His voice trailed off and he stared at the ground.

"So that's how... But, Uncle Renning, you don't know that Lucia--"

"I don't want her to have to take that chance. Don't you see that, Elincia?"

"What about the chance you're taking now? By you doing this, how do you know she won't be more hurt than if... You know, you act like you're all big and brave, but sometimes you can be so childish! So why don't you just sit here and sulk and never truly be happy?!"

The queen got up and left her uncle.

"Great...can I get anyone else angry with me?"

--

Lucia laid upon her bed crying into her pillow.

_Does Renning always have to be...such a jerk?! Well, it could be worse...I suppose it could be Bastian, who'd never leave me alone..._

Somewhere between her thoughts and sobbing, Lucia was able to fall asleep.

However, she was later awoken by strong arms shaking her.

"Lucia! Get up! We have to hurry!"

Without opening her eyes, she could tell that it was still dark out.

"Lord Renning?" She mumbled, still too asleep to make sense of anything.

"No, Lucia, it's me."

"...Oh, Geoffrey...?"

"Come on, Sister. There's trouble."

"What's going on?" She said sitting up in the bed.

"We're under attack. Duke Renning's holding off the gate."

"What?!" She smacked him. "You left him to guard it all by himself?!"

"No, of course not. Count Bastian's..."

"Oh, Bastian. That makes things so much better!" She mused, getting to her feet, grabbing her sword, and dashing out of the room.

Her brother, still rubbing his cheek from where he'd been slapped, followed behind her.

--

By the time Lucia got to the gate, Elincia and Bastian were tending to an injured Renning. The duke lay on the ground surrounded by what appeared to be laguz; the freezing rain pelting them all. Lucia guessed the attackers to be more feral ones. After Izuka had been defeated, a new foe had found his elixirs and began creating more feral ones. No one had, as of yet, been able to locate this person, nor determine who it was.

As Elincia and Bastian pulled their staves away from the man, Lucia rushed over to him. She sat on the ground next to him, tears filling her aqua eyes as she took in his injuries. One of the animals had been able to strike at his chest, leaving behind four deep gashes.

"Renning, I'm so sorry..." She sobbed.

"In your own words, it's not your fault. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me," he stated, pulling her closer to him, slightly wincing from the pain.

Geoffrey and Bastian stood in shock as they witnessed her kissing him; anger flared in the latter's eyes. Queen Elincia chuckled at the scene.

"Uncle Renning, Lucia...we should all probably get inside...unless you'd like to catch pneumonia, that is."

Lucia laughed as she helped Renning to his feet. The pair, along with the queen, and soon-to-be king, went inside, leaving Count Bastian standing in the rain.

"How...how could she? And Renning...he won't get away with this. Not by my watch anyway!"

_--_

_A/N: Ha, it seems Renning can get even more people angry with him. Poor, poor Bastian. Or not._

_And yes, more of the sappy love story. As you can probably tell, I'm not that great at writing romance. Ah well... I'm off to update... *looks at list* Ooh, my new story. *readers roll their eyes* _

_Random reader: Like you need to be working on another new story... _

_Okay, so that may be true, but still..._

_Well, leave a review if you feel like it..._


	5. Bastian

**Devotion**

**Chapter Five: Bastian**

_A/N: So, even though we're in our finals "week" (how can they call it a week when it's three?) at my school, I decided I would work on something. To be honest, I totally forgot about this story and it hasn't been updated since...December, I think? Anyway..._

_--_

_Death, a more graceful, more comforting being than life. Misery, present throughout the land. Not a soul is able to go through life without it._

And now, it was the count's time to be miserable. He had always been so kind, so devoted...he hadn't done a thing wrong. What was it about him that made him overlooked, unloved? Why couldn't Lucia see past his fancy words and overly eccentric garb?

_Perhaps, see past that she can. The likely possibility is that wishes she not to acknowledge it._

Yes, that was quite likely. But still, the fact that she had given her heart to Renning, a man that was old enough to be her father, troubled him greatly. What did she see in the duke that she couldn't find in Bastian? Sure, the older man was significantly stronger and looked quite a bit more manly, but what is wrong with personality? Renning is a mere knight: emotionless, stern...he can't care for her like the blonde man does! Bastian was poetic, proper.

Then again, Renning was part of the royal--no, Lucia wouldn't care about that. She had always said that "love at first sight" was a silly matter. Actions, character, that was what mattered to her. The count, on the other hand, hadn't believed in love at first sight until he had seen her those years ago, after she had come back from school...

--

_They all stood outside the Castle Delbray, trying to be the first to spot the horse that would bring their "princess" home to them. It had been five years since he had seen her last. Her family and even the king and queen had gone to visit her at the academy, but he had never gone himself, always being too busy for one reason or another. Besides, why would he go out of his way to see a girl that had barely been his childhood friend?_

_He looked around him, noting that everyone was there. Count Delbray rested his hands on his wife's shoulders; Geoffrey stood off to the side, expressionless. King Ramon and Queen Alissandra watched their daughter as she paced around impatiently. Every now and then the anxious princess would tap her foot upon the ground or sigh and drop her head into her hand. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was eager to see her best friend._

_He, on the other hand, wasn't nearly so excited. It was just another day to him; full of duties and things he didn't want to do but knew he had to. There was nothing out of the ordinary here. All daughters of nobles went to school at Crimea's fine arts academy--"Tellius's School for the Gifted," as it was formally known. They would return home to their families once graduated, and most of the girls would go on to marry some noble they barely--if at all--knew._

_He let out a sigh and stretched his arms when Elincia spotted something in the distance. The teenager jumped up and down, needing to be restrained to keep from running to meet the oncoming travelers. As Geoffrey held her by her wrists, Duke Renning stopped his horse before them and dismounted. Taking Lucia's hand, he helped the girl down from the stallion just in time for the princess to throw her arms around her older milk sister. Everyone else stood there in amusement as the two jumped up and down and shared in the childish moments of youth._

_At some point the swordswoman realized that everyone present was staring at her, also noticing that not only were her parents nearby but other nobles as well, and she broke her embrace with Elincia and bowed before the king and queen. King Ramon smiled as he motioned for her to rise and pulled her into a tight hug._

_"Welcome home, darling," he laughed while ruffling her hair, then after realizing what he had done, added, "Oh, you'll have to forgive me for treating you like such a child. You are a young lady now."_

_She smiled politely, "It isn't a problem, Your Highness."_

_Next it was her parents' turn to weep and say how they were glad to have her back and the like. She replied with how she missed them as well before she turned to face her brother, a sly smile on her face._

_"Well, Geoffrey, didn't you miss me?" she questioned, the devious grim still spread across her features._

_"Yes, Sister," came his, as usual, expressionless reply._

_She rolled her eyes before turning her attention to the blonde sage standing off to the side, curtsying to him a slight bit._

_"Nice to see you, Count Bastian."_

_"Splendid to see you as well, Milady."_

_The blueness of her eyes shocked the count...everything about her, both in personality and in looks, amazed him. Before, she had been rambunctious, always looking for attention; but now, she was more refined and elegant. She was also quite beautiful--something he'd never thought he would call her. She had always been cute growing up, he had always found her precious, the adorable little sister he had never had, but now things were...different._

_--_

Yes, she had always found "love at first sight" to be foolish. To be honest, he had as well until that day. Whatever it was about that woman that attracted the count to her had made him believe so strongly in this "petty" notion. She gave him life--a reason to live.

But his feelings meant nothing now. She hadn't chosen him; Renning was the one she fell head over heels for. He didn't mean a thing to her, perhaps he never would. However, if she wished to be with Renning, then he would have to be happy for--no, who was he kidding? How could he be happy about this? On the other hand, he couldn't let her see his misery--he couldn't cause her distress over something like this.

_Leaves only one option for me this does._

Sighing, the man got up and walked towards the door. He had been prepared for this for awhile but thought that possibly it would never actually come down to it. But, seeing as it had, this was something that he would have to do...

--

"And this dress?" the queen of Crimea laughed as she twirled around in a wedding dress she had tried on.

It was a simple-looking thing compared to what would be expected from someone of her rank, but it was nonetheless stunning. The strapless white gown reached to the floor, flowing onto the stone tiles. The upper half was decorated with intricate beadwork, giving the dress its stylish look and feel.

Though she had always wanted to wear her mother's gown when she married, she now knew that it wasn't possible, as King Ashnard had burned the dress when he had captured Crimea. But, she did have to admit that she liked the less elegant style of this dress more than the one her mother's had...

Her uncle sighed, "Yes, Elincia, it looks nice."

"But do you think Geoffrey will like it?"

At this question, the woman's best friend tried her hardest to suppress a giggle, but ended up bursting out into a fit of laughter. This act caused the emerald-haired ruler to frown in obvious confusion. She quickly regained her composure, realizing that she had just been mocking her monarch.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Her suitor said, stroking her hair lovingly.

"Yes," she responded meekly before turning to the other woman. "Milady, I'm sorry, I never meant to--"

"No, it isn't a problem, though I do wonder what you found to be so humorous..."

"Oh, of course. I just found it an odd question to ask, seeing as how my brother would love anything you wore..."

"Oh," was her only reply.

The three of them waited in a rather awkward silence until a messenger walked in, bowing before the queen.

"Your Majesty, Sir Tauroneo is here to see Duke Renning."

She nodded, "Thank you. Please send him in." After the man had left, she turned to her uncle. "We can finish the whole wedding planning business after your visit."

He nodded as she moved towards the door, glancing outside to make sure that Geoffrey wasn't in sight, and then disappeared. Lucia, too, stood up from her place next to the duke, causing him to give her a confused glance.

"You're not staying then?"

"No, I figured you two should have some time to discuss matters, catch up...whatever it is that he's here for," she said, pecking him lightly on the cheek before continuing, "I figured I'd go check up on Count Bastian anyway."

"I see," he chuckled. "Good luck with that."

She rolled her eyes before turning and walking down the hallway towards the count of Fayre's chambers. With any luck, he would be there studying or something, saving her quite a bit of time in looking for him.

--

The sage mindlessly tossed a stone into the lazily-moving river in front of him. As he sat on the bank of the body of water, staring blankly into space, he all-the-while wondered how he would be able to tell any of them--if he _could_ tell them.

Looking down at his shoes, he couldn't believe how ridiculous they looked. The footwear of a jester, that was all it was. In fact, there was hardly a thing about him that wasn't completely absurd. With his pointed shoes; long, curly hair; and odd manner of speech, he was ridiculed and mocked by the rest of the court.

Some said that such things didn't matter, but he couldn't lie and say that their criticism didn't get to him. Though he never showed it, the words spat out at him by the other nobles did sting him. He would never be able to take their harsh comments and be fine with them, but he could at least put on a brave face for everyone else.

"Well, Count, what are you doing all the way out here?"

The soft voice from behind startled him, causing him to nearly jump up from his spot in the dirt. He was able to play it off, however, and remain facing a distant tree. He had hoped that no one would find him here, that no one would bother to look for him after he came up missing, but things never go quite as planned.

Sighing, he gave his nearly unconcerned response, "Thinking I was, Milady."

He had no need to turn around. The speaker was clear to the man that had loved her for so long.

"I see...am I interrupting you then?"

"No, fine it is," despite his attempts to hide it, he knew she could sense the bitterness in his tone.

He didn't even turn around as she walked closer to him, regretting her decision to check up on him more and more. She had to have known that he wouldn't really want to see her right now...much less to talk with her. After all, she hadn't told him of her feelings for Renning prior to the other night, as she had planned. There wasn't a doubt that she had shocked him, giving him a rightful reason to resent her.

And yet, here she was, coming to cause him more misery, she was sure of it. No matter what she did, it seemed that she only caused him more and more heartbreak and tears. No matter how she tried, she only worsened his pain. His feelings were all she thought of, but she still managed to trample over them despite trying not to.

As she made her way down the rather steep bank of the river, her high-heeled shoes digging into the mud underneath, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that she hadn't fallen down like she had when she was younger.

But, of course, she had spoken too soon. Just like many times before, she lost her footing, falling forward. She covered her face with her hands, prepared to feel pain any moment. After she hadn't, she slowly removed her hands to find herself in Bastian's lap, his arms wrapped around her waist. This was how this event would always end when he was around--by some lucky chance, he would always catch her every time she fell, not caring about the risks he would take himself, but only for her well-being.

"I-I'm sorry, Milady. I hadn't meant to..." he stuttered.

She shook her head. "No, Milord, I should have paid more attention. ...Thank you for saving me."

She next sat through what would be her second awkward silence that day. They both just sat there, Lucia still in the count's arms, with neither willing to move. The Trueblade didn't know why her body refused to move, why her legs wouldn't respond and take the command to stand up. For some reason they just resisted what her brain demanded. In all honesty, while her mind was telling her how wrong this was, her heart was saying something different.

Looking at his current expression, she couldn't help but ask him one simple question. "Bastian, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, Milady. It's nothing, I swear."

"And if I don't believe that?"

"Believe it you don't, then nothing to you do I speak."

She sighed, "Bastian, please let me help you. Tell me the truth."

"The honest truth is that I feel...underappreciated. I know it sounds foolish, but wish I do that might I just once find some that...understands me."

--

The red-clad knight stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the scene by the riverbank. The sight that he was met with was unusual indeed--it wasn't often that his general's older sister would sit so close to the man that constantly showed affection toward her, and it was much more unheard of for her to allow his arms to rest around her.

He could barely make out their conversation from where he stood, but, as he was curious enough, he was able to listen closely and hear everything.

"That's it?" the woman looked at the blonde man in disbelief. "Milord, don't for one second think that none of us appreciate you. I appreciate you, more than you know. But someday you'll find someone that's nicer, prettier, and, overall, more pleasant to be around than I've ever been. Then you'll be truly happy...happier than you ever would with me."

"While a nice notion that is, I'm afraid it isn't true. Not a soul on Tellius can match you in any of the aforementioned categories," he paused. "Besides, never will I be as pleased as I am in your presence."

Kieran's jaw dropped at this next bit, with only a single thought running through his mind: How would Lord Renning feel about what was taking place. But he knew that he couldn't be the one to break the news to him, though the moment where Count Bastian's and Lady Lucia's lips met would forever play in his mind.

--

_A/N: Finally, I have this done! Anyway, looks like Kieran's going to have an interesting chapter....which brings me to some things that my reviewers are going to decide. First off, I'm debating on two different pairings for Kieran: with Mia or with Marcia. I was originally going with Mia, but I got a request a while back for Marcia. The second is for Lucia's pairing. I'm undecided if I want to write Lucia/Renning or Lucia/Bastian. Of course I love her with Renning, but I've written that one so many times that I don't think anyone really likes reading it anymore. And since someone __got me started on liking her with Bastian, even more than with Soren, I felt it would be a nice fit. So, tell me which of the pairings you'd like to see in the rest of the story in your reviews!_


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